


older (an alex original)

by F0R3ST



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: @ netflix please give owen more solos, Alex Has Anxiety (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex sings older by ben platt, Alex-centric (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn takes over on the drums for him, Gen, Good Significant Other Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), M/M, Other, Ray's A Good Dad, Songwriter Alex (Julie and The Phantoms), Thanks, The entire band and cfowd starts crying, but he wrote it, i guess, that's just the power of ben platt songs, this boy can sing, watch this make me emotional
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28105029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/F0R3ST/pseuds/F0R3ST
Summary: "Now, everyone, for this last song, please welcome our favorite drummer to the stage. All the way from behind his fortress, this is the one, the only, Alex Mercer."---Alex takes center-stage at the end of their show, to sing his song for the first time in public
Relationships: Alex & Flynn & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie & Willie, Alex & Flynn (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Ray Molina, Alex & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Julie Molina, Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	older (an alex original)

**Author's Note:**

> The song Alex sings is Older by Ben Platt and I highly recommend turning it on when you see the little note in bold. Of course it's not Ben's song in this fic for plot purposes, but I love it too much for it not to be the song I'm using.
> 
> (Also: I have realized there's a few inexplainable moments in this that go along w holograms, so let's just say they "announced" the boys were visiting that week they were doing shows,,, and they can make themselves corporeal, including Willie. Okay. That's all.)

Alex was nervous. Yeah, you're probably thinking " _oh, but when is he not?_ " and you'd be right, but tonight was different. Not because they were in danger, or because him and another band member had fought before they were to go on and things were tense, or anything because none of those were true. Alex was nervous because he had written a song and even if he wrote them occasionally, he never performed them in front of just over 3,000 people.

Ever since the Orpheum, their crowds had gotten bigger and bigger and this was just another step up from their previous 1,500. It was terrifying and no amount of validation or love and support from Julie and the boys seemed to calm his nerves. He had only just sung small solos in a few songs and this was a whole song.

All the verses and repeating choruses and everything on the page seemed to be taunting him as he stared. Waiting for him to do something wrong and make a fool of himself as the last note of the second to last song of their set bled into the crowd's applause and Julie brought the mic to her lips, announcing that they had one song left. Everything Alex didn't hear as the reading over the pages once more burned an uneasy feeling in his chest before he had to abandon them and leave his safe spot behind his drums.

"Now, everyone, for this last song, please welcome our favorite drummer to the stage. All the way from behind his fortress, this is the one, the only, Alex Mercer," Julie's voice was drowned out by applause once more and the blond let the song fall to his seat as he took one step. And another. And another. And another until he was next to Julie and she was handing him the mic with a hand on his shoulder and a whisper of encouragement in his ear before she returned to the grand piano that was brought out for _Wake Up_. 

The _verybadnogood_ feeling returned and he felt like he was going to throw up. Which was something he absolutely could not do unless he wanted to look like Chloe in the first Pitch Perfect film (Flynn was watching them and Alex had time). Deep breath in and then letting it all out, trying to push the _verybadnogood_ feeling as far down as he possibly could. The teen ghost gulped and spoke into the microphone, sending a high-pitched feedback immediately into the crowd. He tried again and this time there was no embarrassing sound.

"Hey, everybody. I, uhm, I wrote this song about a month ago and, uh," Why was he stuttering? He's practiced this for days on end ever since the news of him performing it was brought up. "I wanted to share it with all of you before we release it, so here goes. You guys get to hear Flynn on drums instead of me for once, all these guys on back up, and Reggie finally picked his violin back up," Reggie raised the stringed instrument and bow above his head, "so be thankful we remembered he could do that," The crowd laughed lightly and so did Alex, a smile on his face. "Anyways, here's _Older_ , an 'Alex Original,' as Julie calls it." He took a deep breath and adjusted the mic on the stand as the stage went dark.

**(play the song now)**

_I was walking down 57th street towards Park  
With the same old song in my same old heart  
Making plans I'm gonna do when I get older_

A light focused on Alex and then Julie.

_Passed a gray-haired man and I found his eyes  
It's like he knew my thoughts and he read my mind  
Saying life is gonna find you when it's supposed to_

The rest of the stage stayed dark. It was just Julie and Alex.

_Felt my feet stop short and I turned my head  
Tried to lean into every word he said  
Then he said_

Another spotlight fell to Flynn as she took over his throne.

_When you are younger_  
_You'll wish you're older_  
_Then when you're older_  
_You'll wish for time to turn around_

Alex had his eyes closed, hoping the crowd didn't hate them. Hate _him_.

_Don't let your wonder turn into closure_  
_When you get older_  
_When you get older_

His voice went up and he held it as every instrument came together and everyone on backup vocals sounded like angels announcing his arrival to heaven or something. His harmonies louder than the others, but still allowing them some metaphorical spotlight as the physical ones lit up the stage. His body moved and he loosened up just a bit. His eyes were still glued shut as he sang like he did in the church's choir when he was a kid. The _verybadnogood_ feeling was getting smaller and smaller as his voice grew and grew.

_Have I killed my thoughts right before their prime?  
Have I bit my tongue one too many times?  
Have I said it all the way I really meant to?_

His mind and heart battled for control over his eyes. Brawling it out inside him right there on the stage. His mind won.

_If I wait 'til my tomorrow comes  
Is the waiting all I've ever done?  
And will I get to_

Here goes. This is the moment he lets it out. the moment he says it and gets it over with. The moment they could all turn around hate him.

_Get to know myself in the place I am  
Get to fall in love with another man and understand-_

Alex forced his eyes open and as soon as he did, the crowd erupted in cheers. He met a few tear stained faces (hell, he burst into tears, too), smiling at them as they turned to their friends because _"Oh my gods, Alex Mercer just smiled at me!"_ His smile widened and he moved across the stage and down to the very front, where hands reached out and the front few rows screamed out.

_Don't let your wonder turn into closure  
When you get older  
When you get older_

The angelic notes were back as he stood up from crouching and opened his arms to the love he was receiving. The blond ghost hopped back up and danced around the band, making sure to take a little longer hanging around Willie as he played one of the guitars. He turned back around, facing the sea of people, and looked out to find Ray- _Dad_ staring back at him, a look of pride in his eyes. The _verybadnogood_ feeling was gone now.

_When you are younger_  
_You'll wish you're older_  
_When you get older_  
_You'll wish for time to turn around_  
_Don't let your wonder turn into closure_  
_When you get older_  
_When you get older_

He slowed down and brought the mic back to the stand as all the lights around him dimmed. It was just him and Julie again. The song slowed until it was just Alex and the stage went dark. A second passed and the entire venue cheered louder than they did collectively for the entire concert beforehand. 

Alex wiped his tears as Julie, Luke, and Reggie ran up next to him, grabbing each other's hands and whispering compliments to him as the stage lit back up slowly. They all took a deep breath in, brought their hands up, and bowed as if they just finished a Broadway show. They all had happy-tears streaming down their faces as the rest of the people on stage ran up next to them, Flynn grabbing Julie's empty hand and Willie pushing himself in between his boyfriend and Luke. The backup singers and the other guitarists smiled as the held on at the end of the main band's lineup.

They all brought their hands up one more time before bowing into the growing cheers and the lights going out instantly. Everyone ran off stage and it lit back up again in a purple light once they were off and the crew went to pack everything up. The band cheered and jumped up and down in excitement. Reggie was the one to speak first.

"You were absolutely smokin', Alex. We knew you could do it," The dark haired ghost complimented. Alex flushed red and buried his face in Willie's neck (the skater just kissing the drummer's hair). Everyone agreed and directed most of their compliments towards Alex until Julie raised a hand and lifted a water bottle she stole from Flynn and announced, in a very Julie-manner, that they needed to toast.

"To Alex. For taking a great step outside of his comfort _everything_ and towards a possible newfound confidence," She stated, raising the water bottle up and everyone grabbed whatever was closest they could cheers him with and followed her lead. "And, hey, maybe we could preform _Older_ at the end of every show. Seeing as it's one of the more emotional solo-ish songs." Everyone laughed and nodded, taking notice of all their teary eyes and wet faces and raising their object towards the blond.

"Thank you, guys, but we gotta applaud Julie. If she didn't play that CD, we wouldn't be here and none of this could've ever happened without her," Alex interrupted the compliments, trying to deflect them and point them at Julie. And it worked. Alex moved from the center of the group and pulled Willie with him a few feet away from the rest of them.

"You were amazing out there, hotdog, I mean that," Willie whispered as he leaned against Alex's chest while the couple stared lovingly at their friends.

"So were you."

"Stop deflecting my love and accept it," Willie playfully fought and Alex just smiled down at him, leaning in and kissing Willie's pouted lips. 

"I love you," Alex whispered to the shorter ghost.

"I love you, too." 

The two kissed quickly again until Luke broke them up with fake gagging sounds. "Ugh, get a room!" Alex's cheeks flushed again and Willie laughed monotonously.

"Ha ha, very funny. As if you and Reggie aren't attacking each other's lips at every given moment," Luke quickly shut up and glared lightheartedly at the other as a pink crept onto his own cheeks.

The group dispersed from crowding around the stage wings and the main four (plus Flynn and Willie because, face it, they're clingy when they want to be) made their way to the front of the venue, where fans were crowded, trying to get their own peak at the band. 

As they exited the building, the large-ish group of fans started screaming out random names and noises, all of them trying their best to get the attention from the band. Alex held onto Willie's hand a little tighter and the shorter just rubbed his thumb over the back of Alex's hand. _I've got you_ was unspoken, but said at east 70 different ways with every action they all took with each other.

The three couples split up and started in their own "sections," and began signing things and taking picture and videos and engaging in conversations and just interacting in a way the fans were so thankful for. A kid, maybe 14 or 15, was helped to the front, a pride flag hanging around their shoulders like a cape. They looked up at Alex, starstruck as he smiled and began talking with them. Willie had taken a few steps back and looked at the two, taking a few pictures of them on the younger teen's phone before they had to leave with whoever they were there with. The brown-skinned skater smiled as he watched Alex with them all. He was in his element and Willie knew that.

Alex could do this for the rest of his afterlife and Willie would be there to support him.

They did have eternity, after all.


End file.
